Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers

"The National Indigenous Economic Education Foundation (NIEEF) provides scholarships, training and research funding for students involved in Aboriginal community economic development."

"The 11 competencies identified for the job of an Aboriginal EDO are not used only in that occupation. Some are transferable to other occupations or are used in other parts of one's life.

"To earn the Technician Aboriginal Economic Developer Certificate, candidate (student in the process) must demonstrate 16 competencies that can be earned either through post-secondary study (delivered through an accredited programs - universities and colleges across Canada), course by course match up and/or through prior learning assessment (PLA) that measures past learning and experience."

"Cando's National Certification Process is the first to be designed, developed and administered by an Aboriginal organization. The Certified Aboriginal Economic Developer Process is an education process specifically designed to meet the needs of Economic Development Officers (EDOs) working across Canada. It provides a uniform knowledge base and skill set for all individuals currently fulfilling or wishing to work in the field of Aboriginal economic development."

"EDOs say the 16 competencies are the ones they believe to be the most common and important to their work. They are the primary areas of knowledge and skills that are needed to do the job well. Although the majority of EDOs involved with developing this process feel capable of doing their jobs, almost all said that there are areas that they need to improve their competence in some areas. They felt that having a more detailed description of the competencies was a big help in thinking about their professional development as well as their job requirements."